Monument to the People's Heroes

Standing at the heart of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the Monument to the People’s Heroes is more than just a centerpiece of the world’s largest public square; it is the official 'National Memorial' of the People’s Republic of…

To understand the Monument to the People's Heroes, one must look at the immense collaborative effort that brought it into existence. After Chairman Mao’s symbolic first dig in 1949, a committee of renowned architects and artists…

The narrative journey around the pedestal begins at the eastern side of the monument with the first bas-relief, titled 'Burning Opium at Humen.' This scene depicts the decisive action taken by Lin Zexu in 1839, when he ordered…

Continuing clockwise, the next reliefs cover the turbulent years of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The 'Jintian Uprising' relief depicts the start of the Taiping Rebellion in 1851. …

The next reliefs move into the 20th century, focusing on the intellectual and urban origins of modern China. The 'May Fourth Movement' relief depicts the massive student protest in 1919 at Tiananmen itself. …

As we reach the northern side of the pedestal, the narrative reaches its climax with the two largest and most detailed reliefs. The first is the 'War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression' (1937-1945). …

Finally, we must look upward to the great inscriptions on the obelisk itself. The front of the monument, facing north, bears eight massive gilded characters in Chairman Mao Zedong’s distinctive, vigorous handwriting: 'Ren-min…

As you walk away from the Monument to the People's Heroes, take a moment to look back and see it within the larger context of Tiananmen Square. To the north is the gate of the Forbidden City, representing imperial history; to the…